Frontier Centre

Canada’s old laws on prostitution were struck down by the Supreme Court last year because they forced sex workers into vulnerable and dangerous situations.

Some commentators say that Harper government's new law might do the same thing, and end up back in the courts.

If the new law is also struck down as unconstitutional, there might be little else that Ottawa can do to deal with prostitution.

Parliament cannot legislate under the criminal code unless the law defines criminal offences and provides penalties. Such action must relate to public peace, order, security, health, and morality.

If Ottawa is unable to outlaw some aspects of the sex trade without endangering sex workers, there is little they can do to regulate it.

However provinces and municipalities have the power to regulate, since they have jurisdiction over property, civil rights and public health.

Recent efforts to pass laws about prostitution have been based on the belief that sex workers are victims, and only provinces and local communities can take steps to help them get out of the business.

We can expect to see local authorities play a greater role in prostitution issues in the near future in Canada.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Canada’s old laws on prostitution were struck down by the Supreme Court last year because they forced sex workers into vulnerable and dangerous situations.

Some commentators say that Harper government's new law might do the same thing, and end up back in the courts.

If the new law is also struck down as unconstitutional, there might be little else that Ottawa can do to deal with prostitution.

Parliament cannot legislate under the criminal code unless the law defines criminal offences and provides penalties. Such action must relate to public peace, order, security, health, and morality.

If Ottawa is unable to outlaw some aspects of the sex trade without endangering sex workers, there is little they can do to regulate it.

However provinces and municipalities have the power to regulate, since they have jurisdiction over property, civil rights and public health.

Recent efforts to pass laws about prostitution have been based on the belief that sex workers are victims, and only provinces and local communities can take steps to help them get out of the business.

We can expect to see local authorities play a greater role in prostitution issues in the near future in Canada.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Canadians have been deluged with reports about climate change for two decades, but polls still indicate that in most western countries, only about half of us believe in the science of the issue.

Perhaps this is because most of what we hear comes from politicians and often exaggerated media reports, not from scientists.

Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is a good example. The Oscar-winning film was a mixture of entertainment and carefully crafted political propaganda, not a scientific work.

As a politician, Gore is used to these kinds of tactics. In the short run, an emotional quote, a dramatic graph, or a snappy rebuttal in a debate, can help win an election.

But climate change is a long term, issue-based campaign, and political spin will never hold up to serious scrutiny.

The public DOES trust science - scientists are routinely near the top of ‘most trusted professions’ surveys. Politicians, on the other hand, are always near the bottom.

If scientists really want to find the truth and win the public over, they need to tell the politicians to stop exaggerating their results for political gain, and let them get on with their work.

We would all benefit from a climate change debate based on science, rather than politics.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit www.fcpp.org.

Canadians have been deluged with reports about climate change for two decades, but polls still indicate that in most western countries, only about half of us believe in the science of the issue.

Perhaps this is because most of what we hear comes from politicians and often exaggerated media reports, not from scientists.

Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is a good example. The Oscar-winning film was a mixture of entertainment and carefully crafted political propaganda, not a scientific work.

As a politician, Gore is used to these kinds of tactics. In the short run, an emotional quote, a dramatic graph, or a snappy rebuttal in a debate, can help win an election.

But climate change is a long term, issue-based campaign, and political spin will never hold up to serious scrutiny.

The public DOES trust science - scientists are routinely near the top of ‘most trusted professions’ surveys. Politicians, on the other hand, are always near the bottom.

If scientists really want to find the truth and win the public over, they need to tell the politicians to stop exaggerating their results for political gain, and let them get on with their work.

We would all benefit from a climate change debate based on science, rather than politics.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit www.fcpp.org.

The debate over fracking continues to be lively, and there's a lot of misinformation out there.

Fracking, or 'hydraulic fracturing', is the injection of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into underground rock formations, to release trapped natural gas.

Opponents are concerned about the potential consequences of fracking, particularly on ground water.

The documentary 'Gasland', released in 2010, showed a landowner setting fire to the water coming out of a tap in his home, suggesting that it was linked to a nearby fracking site.

In fact, the ability to ignite a flame from a tap exists naturally, even in places with no oil and gas development.

Fracking has sparked a number of protests here in Canada.

Residents of Lethbridge, Alberta were opposed to plans by Goldenkey Oil to drill fracking wells within city limits.

They should know that after extensive study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that fracking poses little to no threat to the quality of drinking water.

Supporters and proponents of fracking point out that it means cheaper gas and less reliance on coal, which produces more emissions of carbon dioxide.

Rather than relying on alarmist rhetoric, Canadians should study the research, and realize that there's nothing to fear.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on energy policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The debate over fracking continues to be lively, and there's a lot of misinformation out there.

Fracking, or 'hydraulic fracturing', is the injection of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into underground rock formations, to release trapped natural gas.

Opponents are concerned about the potential consequences of fracking, particularly on ground water.

The documentary 'Gasland', released in 2010, showed a landowner setting fire to the water coming out of a tap in his home, suggesting that it was linked to a nearby fracking site.

In fact, the ability to ignite a flame from a tap exists naturally, even in places with no oil and gas development.

Fracking has sparked a number of protests here in Canada.

Residents of Lethbridge, Alberta were opposed to plans by Goldenkey Oil to drill fracking wells within city limits.

They should know that after extensive study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that fracking poses little to no threat to the quality of drinking water.

Supporters and proponents of fracking point out that it means cheaper gas and less reliance on coal, which produces more emissions of carbon dioxide.

Rather than relying on alarmist rhetoric, Canadians should study the research, and realize that there's nothing to fear.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on energy policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is under the spotlight in Canada.

Supporters argue that foreign workers are definitely needed in certain industries or in regions where not enough Canadians can be found to fill available jobs.

Opponents of the program say it takes jobs away from Canadians and drives down wages.

Not enough unemployed Canadians are willing to move to areas where the economy is strong and workers are needed.

Industries like mining continue to suffer from chronic shortages of workers.

If properly managed, most agree that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program can help to balance Canada's job market.

Foreign workers can actually help to create job opportunities for Canadians.

For example, a hotel manager won’t have a job if he can't find housekeeping staff.

Recently in the U.S., Georgia lost an estimated 140 million dollars one year because they couldn't hire enough foreign workers to harvest cotton and other crops.

There have been cases where it appears that foreign workers have been exploited.

Making it easier for them to become Canadian citizens would help solve that problem.

It would allow them greater freedom to move to from one job to another.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

To find out more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is under the spotlight in Canada.

Supporters argue that foreign workers are definitely needed in certain industries or in regions where not enough Canadians can be found to fill available jobs.

Opponents of the program say it takes jobs away from Canadians and drives down wages.

Not enough unemployed Canadians are willing to move to areas where the economy is strong and workers are needed.

Industries like mining continue to suffer from chronic shortages of workers.

If properly managed, most agree that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program can help to balance Canada's job market.

Foreign workers can actually help to create job opportunities for Canadians.

For example, a hotel manager won’t have a job if he can't find housekeeping staff.

Recently in the U.S., Georgia lost an estimated 140 million dollars one year because they couldn't hire enough foreign workers to harvest cotton and other crops.

There have been cases where it appears that foreign workers have been exploited.

Making it easier for them to become Canadian citizens would help solve that problem.

It would allow them greater freedom to move to from one job to another.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

To find out more about our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Originally aired on Stuff for Parents. (http://stuffforparents.com/podcasts/whats-wrong-with-our-schools-and-how-we-can-fix-them-part-1/)

Michael Zwaagstra is a public school teacher, speaker, research associate with Frontier Centre for Public Policy and co-author of the book What’s Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them. Michael and I discuss schools in North America, the challenges they face, questionable teaching methods and philosophies, and what you should know as a parent. If you’re a parent who is concerned about our schools or a teacher who has observed the questionable approaches and practices advocated by so-called experts, you’ll definitely want to tune-in!

Originally aired on Stuff for Parents. (http://stuffforparents.com/podcasts/whats-wrong-with-our-schools-and-how-we-can-fix-them-part-1/)

Michael Zwaagstra is a public school teacher, speaker, research associate with Frontier Centre for Public Policy and co-author of the book What’s Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them. Michael and I discuss schools in North America, the challenges they face, questionable teaching methods and philosophies, and what you should know as a parent. If you’re a parent who is concerned about our schools or a teacher who has observed the questionable approaches and practices advocated by so-called experts, you’ll definitely want to tune-in!